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March 1, 1954 | Puerto Rican Nationalists Open Fire on House of Representatives

By The Learning Network March 1, 2012 4:01 amMarch 1, 2012 4:01 am

Associated PressMembers of the Capitol Police held the Puerto Rican nationalists Lolita Lebron, Rafael Miranda and Andres Cordero as they were taken into custody on March 1, 1954, after a shooting from a House gallery.

Historic Headlines

On March 1, 1954, the Puerto Rican nationalists Lolita Lebron, Rafael Miranda, Irving Flores Rodriguez and Andres Figueroa Cordero entered the United States Capitol’s House of Representatives chamber and began
firing at members of Congress, injuring five.

The March 2 New York Times reported that the nationalists “shouted for the freedom of their homeland as they fired
murderously although at random from a spectators’ gallery just above the House floor. … House members at first thought the sounds were those of firecrackers. But as their colleagues fell or took cover
as they heard the slugs hit around them, all realized what was happening.” Particular attention was given to Ms. Lebron, who was dressed stylishly with high heels and bright red lipstick. “Piercing the confusion were the screams of the Puerto Rican
woman: ‘Viva Puerto Rico!’ She emptied the chambers of a big Luger pistol, holding it in her two hands, and waving it wildly. Then she threw down the pistol and whipped out a Puerto Rican flag, which
she waved but never did manage to unfurl fully.”

The four shooters were members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, an organization that called for full independence for Puerto Rico, which has been under United States control since the end of the Spanish-American
War in 1898. The party often used violent means to advance its cause, including an assassination attempt on President Harry S. Truman in November 1950, months after he signed a bill allowing Puerto Rico to draft its own Constitution.

Puerto Rico adopted its Constitution in 1952 and became an unincorporated, organized territory of the United States with commonwealth status, which angered hardcore nationalists. Mr. Miranda said agreeing to these terms
made Puerto Ricans looked like “happy slaves.” According to The Times’s obituary of Ms. Lebron, she had “dismissed that status
as only more colonization and demanded complete independence.”

The Capitol attack was the last significant act of violence carried out by the Nationalist Party. The four shooters were given long sentences, but Mr. Cordero, who was battling cancer at the time, was released in 1978.
The other three were released by President Jimmy Carter the following year in an effort to secure the release of American hostages in Cuba.

Connect to Today:

Puerto Rico remains a commonwealth, or unincorporated territory, of the United States. Puerto Ricans are American citizens who can serve in the United States military and vote in presidential primaries, but they do
not have Congressional representation and cannot vote in presidential elections. The most recent plebiscite, or ballot vote, in 1998 revealed that, although many Puerto Ricans support independence, a much greater
percentage seek statehood, and more than 50 percent of voters did not support either status.

In April 2010 the House approved another plebiscite and the President’s Commission on Puerto Rico’s Status released
a March 2011 report that called for a plebiscite to be held in 2012 to determine whether Puerto Ricans want independence, statehood or commonwealth
status.

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of each proposed status for Puerto Rico? Which status do you support? What are your thoughts on the potential addition of Puerto Rico as the 51st state? Why?

Correction: March 1, 2012The first line of this post originally contained a typo: "On March 1, 1854, the Puerto Rican nationalists Lolita Lebron, Rafael Miranda, Irving Flores Rodriguez
and Andres Figueroa Cordero entered the United States Capitol’s House of Representatives chamber and began firing at members of Congress, injuring five." The correct date is 1954.

Puerto Rico is another country, another nation. A nation is a sociological entity with certain specific characteristics. While not a sovereign nation Puerto Rico is certainly a nation. The US political system recognizes
only one nation within its borders, The USA nation.

To try to insert another nation wihin the USA framework will be to put one nation inside another nation. It will eventually brake the mold. Puerto Rico irreductible national spirit will spread to other territorries,
states and regions within the Union. Eventually many of them will become defacto-Nations, each one seeking its own natural National Rights. This will eventually bring either the transformation of the Union into
a Voluntary Federation of Sovereign Nation States (akin to the European Union) or brake apart.

So if you, Americans, don’t want to be confronted with a be transformed or break apart dilema, then support Sovereignty for Puerto Rico. The present Commonwealth Status dos fit within the US Federal System,
Statehood for Puerto Rico may eventually bring the disolution of the Union. Radical and Inmediate Independence may bring regional instability. So the only option is to lead Puerto Rico toward Sovereignty in
association with the USA.

Recognize first the National Character of the Puerto Rico. Then transfer the Sovereignty of Puerto Rico from Congress to the Puerto Rican people within a Compact of Association where Puerto Rico’s National
Rights and obligations be phased in over a period of 5 to 15 years, so that at the end of the process Puerto Rico will be a free, democratic and Sovereign nation, yet a close allied of the USA.

This is the only solution.

Ezequiel Gonzalez

PD: Lolita Lebron and those who went with her to Congress are National Heroes in Puerto Rico. She died a heroine loved by all, including most of those who support Statehood for PR. At a time of shameless colonialism,
she put her life and destiny on the line atacking those DIRECTLY responsible for it.

Ezequiel, not everyone in Puerto Rico thinks Lolita is a national hero. She and her group were terrorists who thought they could get their way through voilence. The same for infamous Filiberto Ojeda. They are no
different than al-Qaeda.

It’s sad when terrorist are looked up to. Puertoricans need to stop putting terrorists in a pedestal. Real heores in Puerto Rico are Raul Julia, Roberto Clemente and Ricky Martin, to name a few. They make
Puerto Rico’s name shine. All in a positve way.

Mr. William Cox: The people has forgotten that in the same token Washing, Benjamin Franklin, and the founding fathers were labeled as terrorist by England when they used armed struggle in their Revolutionary Independence
War. By your logic the founding fathers are as well terrorits. A war where General Washington said the majority of residents on whats was called later USA, do not believe. So, is revisionist of history you position
Mr.. Cox. The fight for independence is an inalienable right of a nation that was obtained by USA by an illegal act of war violating legal establish political arrangements between Spain and Puerto Rico. Do you
Mr. Cox will label USA citizens trying to expel invaders on you country as terrorists? I do not think so. But you certainly do not know the history of Puerto Rico or even the history of your own country (I am
assuming you are from the USA). yeah Lolita and our brothers and sisters that has stand up against imperialism and colonialism are our heroes and we will continue the struggle until we finish the job of achieving
Independence of Puerto Rico by any means necessary.

Mr. Gonzalez you fail to mention that Puerto Rico has the highest level of education and highest wages in ALL Latin America , you sound like an educated gentleman yourself . So how would the island survive economically
? Like Cuba? Like Santo Domingo? . So, which law firm you work for (most lawyers favor PR independence , wonder why ). At one time I favored US statehood but now I appreciate the cultural independence we Puertoricans
enjoy and am happy and proud to say I’m an American citizen.

Thank you for asking this very important questions. There is so much to be said, but I really doubt that the United States right now and its current partisan climate would ever accept a Latino state of the union.
On the island, a new poll shows that a associated free state is right up there with statehood and that the current status quo is not the option. Independence is stick in the middle single digits.

The reality is that Puerto Rico is a country of second-class US citizens and if pushed to the wall, I am convinced more and more that statehood will never be viable on the island. It doesn’t help that Governor
Fortuño is not popular and is selling a bill of goods right now (no one makes mention of the fact that PRico got over 2.1 billion dollars from the Obama administration from the stimulus package.

My take is that PR in the end will choose associated free state or independence, but what does it matter? The US Congress doesn’t really care about what result this year’s non-binding plebiscite will
produce.

William you are out of touch with reality if you don’t think Lolita Lebron and Filiberto Ojeda are heroes. They are national celebrities and heroes to all who love Puerto Rico. They used violence in response
to the violence and brute force that has been used by the us. Alqaeda attacked civilias, independence fighters like Lolita and Filiberto attacked the us government and its officials. Americans used violence
to break free from English tyranny, were they considered terrorists? Probably by the english but not by americans. Filiberto Ojeda Rios and Lolita Lebron’s work and dreams did not die with them and Puerto
Rico will be free once again! Thank you. Lolita Lebron your spirit lives forever amongst the true patriots of our beautiful island!

I agree with Ezequiel. In response to Mr. Cox you have to take a college course on what is considered terrorism. What was considered terrorism in the past is not today, and what today is terrorism will probably
not be terrorism in the future. Check credible references and do not write like a wikipedia editor. You have a lot of nerve and are a disrespectful individual calling Puerto Rican nationalists terrorists and
comparing them with Al-Qaeda, when many of “those ” Puerto Rican separatists had served the U.S. Armed Forces more than its own “Americans” with honor and paid with blood what they
did not asked for. The United States as founder member-state of the United Nations stated that colonialism is an international crime yet the U.S. has 5 colonies in both the Caribbean and Pacific Regions deciding
the faith of those people. Puerto Rico and its people will always educate individuals like you.

If we are addressing Puerto Rico and its freedom from oppression to a free nation, we must address Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, et al. Our foreign policy must face inwards, towards the Western Hemisphere.

I believe PR should be a free nation. It will not be easy, it would face a btter future than continue in its dependent and under-developed state. How does island important bananas from the Dominican Republic when
there is so much fertile land on the island???!!!.

Ricky Martin? What?? lol He sat in a closet too scared to be himself. Only when it became fashionable did he make it a point to start revealing himself. At that point, his career was on the decline. Sounds like
someone who took advantage and came out very meekly. Glad he has his little following, but he is NO Lolita. A TRUE HERO STANDS UP AND IS NOT AFRAID. The folks that the first poster mentioned are those heroes.
They GAVE UP THEIR LIVES, not act like opportunists.

I suppose Jennifer Lopez is a hero as well, lol. No. She’s talented, but in NO WAY is she comparable to those who forced attention on the politics of our NATION at a time when it was not a popular thing to
do.

Puerto Rico should be independent of the United States. The overpopulation creates layers of poverty increasing for each generation. Ezequiel needs correction. American Indians have sovereign nations within the
borders of many states. Recently a sovereign reservation discovered oil shale deposits in western North Dakota, per capita income exceeds Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans became citizens of the U.S.A. in 1917. Indians
living in sovereign reservations were not granted USA citizenship until 1926.

My father, Pvt John A. Murphy, badge #1022 MPD, captured Lolita Lebron as she fled the Capital. He said she was being chased by a crowd, and when he grabbed her, she had a pistol in each hand. At the 50th anniversary,
he was interviewed, and said he wanted to meet with her. Unfortunately, she died before that could be arranged. He still survives, and will be 88 on 3/31.